1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to grill pans and more particularly pertains to a new food pan for placing on the grates of a barbecue grill for permitting grilling of small foods which would otherwise fall through the grates of a grill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of grill pans is known in the prior art. More specifically, grill pans heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art grill pans include U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,105; U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,914; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 246,751; U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,634; U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,097; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,779.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new food pan for placing on the grates of a barbecue grill. The inventive device includes a plate member that has a pair of ends, a pair of sides that extend between the ends, and upper and lower surfaces. A plurality of apertures extend through the upper and lower surfaces of the plate member to permit heat and smoke to reach food placed on the plate member. The apertures are arranged in a grid-like fashion having a plurality of columns and rows. The columns extend between the ends of the plate member. The rows extend between the sides of the plate member.
In these respects, the food pan for placing on the grates of a barbecue grill according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of permitting grilling of small foods which would otherwise fall through the grates of a grill.